For thousands of years, formal education has played an important role in children's physical and mental development. Many schools were established in the colonial United States in the mid 17th century, long before the states had gained independence from Great Britain. This shows their importance because education was a priority even in the early stages of the nation’s growth. However, many believe that formal education’s importance has decreased during the era of information we will live in today. With anyone being able to access all of the information online, what justifies the worth of a college education? Because of this, it's important to examine the pros and cons of formal education, and its impact on the life of an individual. Whether or not college is a defining factor in a person's career, it's worth mentioning the obvious benefits it provides. Some professions such as law and medicine require a degree, so one immediate benefit of getting a degree is that it allows you to pursue those professions. For careers in other industries such as technology, it’s not as clear if having formal education is necessary, but many employers will still look for candidates with a degree because it shows they have the ability to complete long term goals and will put in the required amount of effort for the job. There are also social benefits of going to college. School campuses encourage social interaction and enrollment in clubs and organizations, which allow students to grow as individuals on a personal level, not just in their classes. Statistically, many people meet their future spouses in college or at their jobs after college, which shows that the relationships developed during this time can last a lifetime. This leads to another benefit of college education, networking. There is a saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. This saying explains that your knowledge is often less important than your connections in the professional world. Whether it's getting a job or getting drafted by a sports organization, having solid references can increase your chances of achieving your professional goals Although there are many benefits of a college education, there are also some drawbacks that should be considered. First, the more prestigious the college, the more expensive.Some colleges cost over 50k per year, so if you can’t afford a good school and don’t have enough scholarships to reduce the price, the only real option is to get student loans. Taking out loans means having faith that you will be able to get a job after college that will pay enough to pay off those loans in a reasonable amount of time. However, many people go through college and find they don’t enjoy their job, but they can’t quit because they have loans and bills to pay. Sometimes people can end up spending most of their working lives paying off these student debts that were supposed to bring them more money in the end. The idea is to get a great education and job that will make you much more money, and this is statistically true, but in many situations, the person ends up in debt for a large portion of their life. There are also personal drawbacks of a college education. Living on campus means you will probably spend most of your free time with people in your social group.Depending on the group, this can either be a positive or a negative. If you end up spending time with people who arent focused on their education and who just want to party and ignore responsibilities, then you could end up behaving like the people around you and regretting it when you graduate and need to find a job. Overall, their are many pros and cons of a formal education that should be considered when deciding if college is right for you. Getting the most out of college means choosing a school thats in your budget but will still give you a boost in the job market so you can make more money in the long run. It depends on your goals in life and why you’re at college beyond just wanting an education. Because of this, there’s no real argument for whether college is good or bad for everyone. If college is gonna help you achieve your goals, then you should attend, otherwise, maybe not.